First Drive: 2010 Audi TTS Coupe

Finally, Speed Matches Style

In the decade or so it's been on the market, the Audi TT has become world renowned for its avant garde style, but it's never ranked high as a true sports car. That perception changed recently thanks in large part to quattro GmbH -- the performance division responsible for the mighty R8. The result is the new TTS, a potent blend of speed, flair, and livability. Watch out, Porsche.

With the "S" onboard, Audi's small 2+2 has evolved into a mechanical ensemble that delivers as many smiles on its drivers' mugs as stares from passersby. Its 2.0-liter four-cylinder is fortified with a strengthened block, an aluminum-silicon alloy head, a bigger Garrett variable turbocharger, reinforced internals, and a remapped ECU. How does 265 horsepower sound?Audi says a sprint to 60 mph in the TTS only takes 4.9 seconds. That's just a couple of ticks off the Porsche Cayman S PDK (4.4 seconds), putting the TTS squarely in the legitimate sports car neighborhood. Unfortunately, we weren't able to put the TTS through our usual barrage of instrumented testing, but there's no doubt this thing is fast. It's a point-and-shoot type of ride with boatloads of grip courtesy of an intelligent quattro all-wheel drive system and aluminum-bred suspension. And that's with the electronics set in "Normal."

Slide the S-tronic dual-clutch lever down into the more aggressive "S" mode, and the throttle's responsiveness noticeably steps up. Like in its R8 big brother, the TTS's magnetic variable-rate dampers can be stiffened at the press of a button for a considerably sturdier ride. We ran our Solar Orange tester on some rain-soaked serpentine byways of San Diego County, and it easily devoured pavement with a level of poise and eagerness not found on the standard model. Even with the hard mountain rain creating mini-skidpads ahead of us, the quattro all-wheel drive setup kept us out of the berms and pegged on the proper line.The TTS is a capable all-arounder -- not just a straight line missile. In full-on sport mode (dampening and transmission in "S"), the dual-clutch 'box holds each of its six gears to high revs and shifts at the 6800-rpm max with a palatable "braap! braap!" from its quad pipes. Its 258 pound-feet. of torque is available between 2500 to 5000 rpm. Linger in this sweet spot, and heads will get sucked into their leather buckets with each seamless upshift.Aim for a corner, click back on the left paddle, feather the throttle gracefully, and let quattro orchestrate the rest. Powerful binders (13.4-in. up front, 12.2-in. at the rear) are at the ready should things get too hectic. It's so smooth, you can't tell how fast you're cruising. The electromechanical Servotronic steering is still lighter than we'd like from a performance-focused ride -- it isn't as precisely weighted as a Boxster or Z4, for example -- but it's definitely more balanced than the non-S TT.In corners, the front end bites hard, assisted by the rear's meaty 19-in. Continentals. The featherweight aluminum-steel space frame chassis responds sharply and decisively with each input. It's completely flat in corners, inspiring the driver and leading to swifter exit speeds.Once out of 'go-fast' mode, the TTS does a 180-degree flip in demeanor, running as tranquilly as an A3 or Volkswagen Golf. The sport-tuned front strut/multi-link rear suspension translates nasty road juts harshly, but otherwise is cool and collected. Visibility is more than generous thanks to the extra wide rear glass hatch and slim B-pillar. The cabin is attractively airy and amicable.

The vibrant exterior coloring makes its way onto the leather door panels, seats, and intricate stitching. It's a modern environment that is capacious enough for two (not four, as Audi states) and their medium-sized luggage. We tried putting our petite female partner in crime in the rear seat and soon concluded it was merely a glorified cargo shelf with safety belts. The seats do, however, split 50/50 and give more rear cargo capacity for heftier baggage. With them down, we easily fit a standard sized carry-on luggage and gym bag. Front seats are firm, but kept us sufficiently bolstered.Interior materials and quality is predictably top notch. Details like orange stitching and a generous use of brushed aluminum accentuate the console's simplistic, contemporary form. Metal outlines each HVAC outlet, as well as the glovebox and instrument clusters. Audi's vivid LCD navigation is utterly user-friendly, but the MMI positioned on a vertical plane (rather than it being next to the gearshift) takes some getting used to. And let's not forget the superb leather-wrapped magnesium sport steering wheel. The standard nine-speaker 140-watt Bose audio system included in the Prestige trim level tester rocks.

Ingolstadt's design gets a slight improvement via quattro's styling team. They complemented the TTS's sleek profile with a tasteful aerodynamic kit for a truly menacing look. Wider air inlets up front shove gobs of passing air into the engine bay and front brakes for additional cooling, while the lower splitter helps push all four wheels to the tarmac. Sills and a lower rear diffuser accomplish the same mission.We normally don't like bright paint jobs (save for on the occasional Lamborghini or GT2), but Solar Orange looks great, accentuating each of the TT's chiseled lines and catching stares everywhere it goes. Factor in the 0.39-inch lowered ride height, 24-unit LED driving lights, aluminum mirror housings, 19-inch alloys, and darkened grille, and the TTS is stunning. Also throw in the listed 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, or 24 mpg combined (we saw just over 24 mpg combined during our entire extended drive), and it gets even sweeter.

Our tester began life at $45,900 and jumped up to $52,845 after the Prestige package ($6,050), Audi music interface ($70), and destination charge ($825) were added. Prestige trim includes 19-in. quattro wheels with summer tires, Silk nappa leather, 10-way power heated seats, Audi Navigation Plus with real time traffic, six-disc CD changer, Bose stereo, rain-sensing wipers, and auto dimming mirror. In comparison, a 2010 Porsche Boxster with PDK (Porsche's own dual-clutch gearbox) and 255-horsepower naturally aspirated flat-six hits 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and carries a $51,020 base price. We're just saying...We've tested many TTs before -- among them, the stupid-fast, 565-horsepower HPA-modded 2008 TT Coupe, and the newly released, but not for U.S. 340-horsepower TT RS. But to us, no other TT from the four-ring brand -- or any tuner, for that matter -- has quite the combination of athleticism and fresh façade as the TTS.

The state of Nevada has issued the second autonomous vehicle permit to Audi for testing piloted driving, making it the first automaker to be issued a license plate -- the first permit was given to Google for its autonomous Toyota Prius.